Love and Betrayal
by DoubleRaineBow
Summary: [In-Progress] [FFIV] She loved him even though he loved someone else. [Kain Highwind x OC]
1. Chapter 1

When I caught wind of his royal majesty's latest decree, I immediately went to search for Cecil, my close friend. Worry ran through me as it was quite odd that his majesty would want to attain the Water Crystal in such a barbaric manner, most especially since Mysidia was a quiet and peaceful village of mages.

Hurrying to one of the few places where Cecil would contemplate to himself, I found both Rosa and Kain there as well.

I watched in silence as Rosa approached the brooding Dark Knight, but did nothing more than stand behind him. My eyes drifted over to the Dragoon who also watched the scene from behind one of the pillars.

Upon noticing my presence, Kain gestured for us to leave the two alone.

"I'm… worried," I spoke quietly. "This is the first his majesty mandated such an order."

Kain patted my shoulder in an attempt to quell my worries. "I'm sure the king has his reasons for ordering this," he assured me with his low baritone voice. "In the meantime, we should await Cecil's return to receive the news he brings, whether it be good or bad."

I nodded in acceptance, but doubt continued to take residence in my heart.

Kain nodded as well, satisfied with my understanding. "Good. I think it's about time we go our separate ways, Evie [ee-vee]. I shall see you tomorrow."

"Alright… Good night, Kain," I whispered as my gaze lingered on the Dragoon long after he waved his goodbye to me, though I waited until he was no longer within my view for me to take my leave.


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke groggily to the sun's morning rays shining upon myself. Shifting up into a sitting position in my bed, I peeked outside my curtained window that had the perfect view of the Baron Castle's courtyard. Outside, many soldiers were already up and about, but my eyes lingered on a certain dark-purple armor-clad Dragoon who was making his way to the mess hall.

In a hurry, I threw on my white high-low dress and clicked into place my breastplate and tassets. I then slipped on my white knee-length stockings and brown leather lace-up ankle boots and fastened my White Mage's robe around my neck with a simple gold chain. As soon as I finished getting ready, I made my way downstairs to grab breakfast with Kain and Rosa. Cecil, on the other hand, had long since left for his raid on Mysidia.

As I walked down the many steps of the tower that housed both the Black and White Mages, I began to reminisce about when I first met the trio.

I was orphaned as an infant, but the good King of Baron took me under his wing and had me study to become a White Mage when I could read and write. I was seven when I was finally introduced to Cecil, Kain, and Rosa, all of whom were older than me by at least two years. I, however, grew close to Rosa as she wanted to become a White Mage in order for her to be able to help Cecil. We developed a sisterhood despite my personal feelings: I had fallen in love with Kain who was enamored by Rosa's kindness and beauty.

"Quell your worries, Rosa." Kain's baritone voice caressed my ear upon approaching the table he and Rosa occupied. "Cecil will be back safe and sound. You should know this well enough by now."

Rosa gave my beloved Dragoon a flustered smile. "It's no matter. I shall take my leave then. Goodbye, Kain, Evie."

I half-glared at Rosa, knowing full well why she left in a hurry. In return, she gifted me with one of her own teasing smiles. I rolled my eyes and sat down with the Dragoon. "Good morning, Kain," I greeted.

"Evie," he grunted in return.

"I overheard your conversation with Rosa," I mentioned while taking a bite from my apple. "I feel that this time around, she has a right to be worried about Cecil."

"I'm only trying to ease the tension, Evie. Yes, this decree from his highness is odd, but we must trust his judgment for now." He began to speak in a softer voice, "Besides, there are many conniving ears around us, so we need to be wary as well."

"… I understand."

A small smile graced Kain's face, or at least what I could see of it. "I'm only looking out for us. Cecil would have my head if we had two hysterical White Mages on our hands, most especially since one of them is _absurdly_ strong for a mage."


	3. Chapter 3

Cecil had just returned from his raid in Mysidia, though the aura he left off was quite unsettling. Rosa was conducting her daily prayers in the castle's chapel hall, so I couldn't inform her of Cecil's return.

Kain and I stood by outside the throne room, but we both felt that something wrong was bound to happen. Unable to take the tension anymore, I decided to make my way inside the room.

"Wait," Kain gently took hold of my wrist, "allow me to take care of this."

I looked Kain in the eyes, a pleading look on my face. " _Please_. Let me go with you."

Kain deliberated. He knew that I only meant to help, yet he felt that he had no choice but to stand firm in his decision. "I cannot, Evie. If anything were to happen to me and Cecil, I want you to be here with Rosa."

Of course, his concerns were mostly centered on the fair and beautiful White Mage. I lowered my gaze and let out a sigh in both hurt and defeat.

Slowly, Kain released my wrist. "Thank you," he whispered before heading into the storm.

I could only wait for the two men now. Fear and suspense grasped my heart, but years of patience and practice allowed me to remain calm.

In what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes, both Kain and Cecil were escorted out of his majesty's throne room.

"Kain, Cecil!" I shouted as I ran up to the two armored men. "What news do you bear?"

The men glanced at one another. It frustrated me that I couldn't tell what they were thinking as their helmets covered most, if not all, of their faces.

"Mysidia now lies barren and the Water Crystal belongs to the Kingdom of Baron," Cecil answered me gravely.

I looked to Kain, instinctively knowing that there was more to Cecil's terse reply.

Kain shifted slightly on his feet, his armor clanking with the movement, before providing me with the answer I needed. "Cecil has been stripped of his rank as Commander of the Red Wings. We are also tasked with slaying the Eidolon of Mist and delivering a ring to the Village of Mist. However, I'm sure that once we complete this little quest for his majesty, Cecil will be back in his rightful place of commandeering the Red Wings once again."

Cecil remained quiet during Kain's explanation. No doubt he was lamenting his current predicament.

I observed the Dark Knight. "You must be tired, Cecil. You should retire for the day," I suggested.

Cecil shook his head. "I still need to make preparations as Kain and I leave at dawn tomorrow..."

Kain waved Cecil off from speaking any longer. "You've only just returned from Mysidia. Allow me to arrange the preparations for tomorrow, Cecil."

"It's my fault that you were dragged into this as well, Kain!" Cecil protested.

"I agree with Kain," I interjected. "Kain has had all the rest he needs." I stared pointedly at the Dark Knight. " _You_ , on the other hand, need all the rest you can get."

Cecil looked helplessly between the two of us and realized that he wouldn't be winning this fight anytime soon. "Alright," he conceded, "I'll be on my way then."

Before leaving, Cecil took a step towards me and whispered into my ear. "You and Kain make quite the team together. Perhaps if you were lovers, both of you would make an even greater team." Cecil then left, no doubt, with a smirk on his helmeted face.

Kain raised his eyebrow upon noticing my increasingly red face. "What did he tell you?" he asked curiously

I shook my head vehemently. "N-nothing important enough for you to worry yourself with…!"

"… I see," Kain responded warily. "I should begin the preparations now. Will you and Rosa see us off tomorrow?"

"I will, but I think Rosa will be busy at the break of dawn," I answered.

Kain nodded in understanding. "Alright. Tomorrow then, Evie."


	4. Chapter 4

It was a little before dawn broke when I woke up to see Kain and Cecil off. Only bothering to throw on my White Mage's cloak over my knee-length nightgown, I slowly made my way to Baron Castle's gates. As soon as I arrived at the gates, I gave the two men a tight embrace.

"Evie, are you not cold?" Cecil asked worriedly, noticing that I decided not to wear shoes as well as the thin material of my nightgown.

I smiled assuringly. "I'm fine. You two should be careful, though," I reminded gently.

"You've nothing to fear, Evie," Kain said. "As long as I'm with Cecil, we should be fine."

I nodded in understanding. "Rosa and I will keep both of you in our prayers as well."

Both men smiled gratefully. "Please take care of Rosa for us, Evie."

"I will. We'll be awaiting your return then," I said whilst waving goodbye.


	5. Chapter 5

Approximately two or three weeks have passed since both Kain and Cecil left by his majesty's orders. Since then, Rosa and I had been praying fervently for the safe return of our loved ones.

It was a normal day for the two of us: teaching the young ones the importance of prayers and how to control one's emotions and feelings in dire situations. We were in the middle of a lesson when a great magical power suddenly blasted through the room, and shortly afterwards, a large earthquake startled the ground.

I looked around to see if our students were alright. Upon confirming with each student, it seemed that no one was hurt. "Stay here," I instructed to them before turning to Rosa. "Rosa, we need to make sure that everyone is alright."

Rosa nodded and followed after me. Or, at least, I thought she had.

I was so busy with checking to see if everyone was alright that I didn't notice Rosa sneak away when my back was turned.

"Guards!" I called out upon noticing that Rosa was missing. "Have you seen Rosa? I thought her to be helping me check everyone in the castle, but when I turned around, she was nowhere in sight."

"We saw her riding away with a Chocobo. She stated that she was going to check the village to see if they are in need of aid," they responded.

I frowned. I knew exactly what Rosa was doing and it was the exact opposite of what the guards described. However, I decide to keep this information to myself. It would do more harm than good if I told them just exactly what she was doing.

"Alright, thank you," I mumbled before walking away.

Worry and guilt wormed its way into my heart. I promised both Kain and Cecil that I would take care of Rosa, and yet, I had no way of knowing where she was at this moment. I was also worried for the two men as the magic pulse originated from the Mist area.

I made my way back to the classroom and dismissed the class for today.


	6. Chapter 6

A week full of listless worry had passed since the "magic pulse" incident. It was finally then when Kain returned home, but Cecil was nowhere in sight. Instead, a large armored man accompanied him. This large man was ominous in both appearance and aura with his large stature and obsidian colored armor.

"Kain," I called after he escorted the large man to the king's throne room.

"Evie," Kain greeted briefly. "What is it you need?"

"Please, walk with me." Kain and I walked side by side in silence until we reached the balcony that overlooked the castle courtyard and Baron Village. He waited patiently for me to speak. "I'm relieved to see that you're alright, Kain, but where's Cecil?" I asked worriedly.

He was silent for a while before explaining to me the extent of the situation. "When we had arrived at the Village of Mist, the ring summoned several Bombs and… the village was destroyed. Cecil and I found a survivor, a young girl, but we killed her mother upon slaying the Mist Eidolon… We tried to save the girl as well, but she summoned Titan out of anger. After that, I was awoken by that man, Golbez. Cecil and that girl were nowhere in sight, however..."

Shock at this revelation speared through my being. Who would've ever thought that our king would've wanted this all along?

"What of Rosa?" Kain then asked, interrupting my thoughts. "Where is she?"

I looked away from Kain's intense gaze, the guilt creeping back inside me again. "Sh-she's… she's gone, Kain…" I closed my eyes guiltily. "She ran off to find you and Cecil after the earthquake…" I felt ashamed of myself for ruining such a simple task after I had promised the two men that I would protect her.

Kain let out a soft sigh before pulling me into his arms. "You needn't worry. We'll find both Cecil and Rosa. And once we do, I'm sure we can resolve this whole situation."

I nodded, allowing myself to be comforted by the usually impersonal man. Even if the hug was more akin to that of an older brother hugging his younger sister after she had her heart broken, I still felt that maybe, just maybe, our relationship could blossom into something more.


	7. Chapter 6-1

_Knock_ , _knock_ …

A startled gasp left my lips, instantly bringing me back to reality from the work that I was doing.

"Evie…? Are you in there?" a muffled voice called from behind my door.

"Y-yes!" I called out as I made my way to the door. "Please wait a moment!" As soon as I was able to compose myself, I opened the door to reveal my beloved Dragoon leaning patiently on the doorframe, much to my surprise. "Kain! What brings you here?" I asked.

Kain looked off to side as he replied. "You didn't come down for breakfast, so I might've gotten a little worried," he said softly, though a small smile reached his face.

I let out a small laugh, happy that the blond man expressed some worry for me. I bowed a little. "Sorry, Kain. I was caught up in creating the lectures and lessons for next month," I said, apologizing.

"It is of no worry, Evie. Though, you should have something to eat," he commented.

As soon as the word "eat" was mentioned, my stomach let out a small growl, leaving Kain to chuckle. "Alright, I suppose now is as good as any other time," I muttered, feeling a blush rush to my cheeks.

Kain nodded in approval. "Allow me to accompany you then, Evie," he volunteered.

Kain just seemed to be full of surprises for me, I thought as another wave of surprise hit me gently. "Are you… okay, Kain?" I asked a bit hesitantly.

"Yes, why do you ask?" he asked curiously, tilting his head ever so slightly.

I bit my lip nervously before answering him. "It's just that, you don't usually do... _this_ with me, or anyone for that matter," I whispered as I looked off to the side.

"I suppose you're right, Evie, but with everything going on, I couldn't help but feel worried this time around, especially since Cecil and Rosa aren't here," Kain responded.

I nodded in understanding. "I see…"

"Shall we go then?" Kain asked as he placed a hand on my shoulder gently.

I smiled and nodded my head, allowing Kain to lead the way.


	8. Chapter 7

The days that followed Kain and Golbez's arrival were shrouded in tension. Everyone was suspicious of one another and scuffles would breakout between those who were with the king and those who weren't. Despite this negative atmosphere, Kain and I were able to find respite in one another. Never before have we ever grown so close except in this little space of time without that _pesky_ Rosa.

No, I mustn't think that way. Rosa had never meant any harm to me regarding my feelings for the Dragoon. Besides, neither she nor Cecil knew of Kain's feelings for the beautiful White Mage except for me.

I stood behind the ledge of the castle's balcony, allowing the wind to sweep through my black hair. I had dismissed my class for the day and wandered here, anticipating the appearance of my blond Dragoon.

"Evie…"

Without turning around, I greeted the man who took to standing closely beside me. "Good evening, Kain…"

Silence settled itself over us, but it was a comfortable silence that we shared. Our minds shuffled through the many thoughts and feelings that were hidden within us, but we needn't bother with informing one another. We've known each other since we were children after all.

My gaze then wandered over the town where the four of us – Cecil, Kain, Rosa, and I – would often play in after our lessons. "Do you remember when we first met?" I asked, turning to look at Kain with an easy smile on my face. "I was only seven and you were eleven. I met you, Cecil, and Rosa through the White Sage because I was getting to be a little bit more troublesome than usual," I giggled, reminiscing when the days were much more simple and fun.

Kain's lips twitched into a small smile. "Yes, I do remember. You were quite… _energeti_ c back then."

I pouted playfully. "I had only wanted to play with other people, but they would resort to ignoring me instead."

"So _that's_ why the White Sage introduced us, so that he could escape your rambunctiousness," Kain quipped with a brief chuckle.

I smacked Kain's shoulder with a pout, causing his armor to echo and dent due to my strength.

"Your punches are as strong as ever, Evie," Kain gritted out whilst rubbing his shoulder. "Still, you have changed quite a bit. You weren't this strong before, nor were you as quiet," he commented.

I looked back at the town of my childhood. "I suppose so."

The moon now loomed over us. Should anyone pass by us, they might've thought us to be lovers taking in each other's presence with our silhouettes accented by the moon's rays.

"We should head in now, Evie," Kain spoke softly, as though he was afraid to break the silence we created together.

I nodded my head. "Alright," I whispered just as softly.

We both deliberated as we gazed into each other's eyes. For once, Kain wasn't wearing his helmet, so I could see his beautiful lilac eyes gazing into my own stony ones.

Before I could attempt to say anything, Kain cleared his throat, a twinge of awkwardness hiding within it. "Allow me to escort you to your room, Evie. Everyone has been uncharacteristically hostile towards one another and I don't want you getting into any unnecessary situations."

I smiled softly, touched by the fact that he cared for my wellbeing. "Alright."

We walked to my room side by side in silence. Our arms grazed past each other every so often and our hands were just ever so slightly out of reach from becoming held hands.

Upon reaching my room, we spoke our goodnights and goodbyes with gentle tones, though I hesitated to walk into my room. I turned and called out to the blond man. "Kain!"

He turned around, slightly surprised at my sudden outburst. "Yes? Is everything okay?" he asked with concern.

I froze, anxiousness shooting through my system at the thought of confessing my feelings to the Dragoon I fell in love with.

I hadn't even realized that I still hadn't said anything until Kain called my name. "Evie? Are you alright?"

"A-ah, y-yes," I sputtered out hastily. "T-take care of yourself, o-okay?"

Kain smiled. "Thank you. I shall."

I slapped myself mentally while longingly watching the Dragoon walk away from me again.

I still didn't have the courage to tell him.


	9. Chapter 8

The morning after, I woke with uneasiness in my heart. I looked outside and saw Kain walking into the mess hall as he always does in the morning. I too made my way down to the mess hall, wistfully remembering that only a few weeks prior, everything seemed to be okay.

"Kain," I whispered as I sat down in front of him, "I fear something may happen today. I just don't know exactly what will take place..."

Kain frowned. "That will do us no good then. We should tread carefully," he advised.

I nodded in agreement.

We were silent again until it was broken by Baigan, whom Kain and I both agreed that was not to be trusted. "You are wanted by his royal majesty, Kain," he nearly spat.

Kain and I glanced at each other with uncertainty.

"Alright," Kain finally conceded. He stood up, abandoning his food.

I quickly grabbed hold of Kain's hand, giving him a pleading look. "Take care, okay?"

Kain nodded in understanding though Baigan regarded me with a suspicious glare.

"Come, his majesty awaits our presence," Baigan ushered.

I watched as Kain left with Baigan, worry taking place in my heart again.

It wasn't until later that day that I saw Kain, but something was wrong this time.

We met again at the balcony, but Kain regarded me harshly, contrary to his usually brief, but meaningful greetings. "Lord Golbez wishes to see you," he ordered with acidity.

I was surprised. We had talked so easily about how we felt about this Golbez man and the king that it was a shock to hear him call Golbez by "Lord Golbez".

"Kain, is something the matter…?" I asked hesitantly, taking a step towards the Dragoon.

"What is _wrong_ is that you're taking your time when Lord Golbez has called for your attendance," he growled.

I grew angry. That man, Golbez, must've brainwashed my beloved Dragoon. Surely, that must be the reason why he was acting this way towards me.

Without as much as a word, I pushed past this twisted version of Kain and made my way to the King's throne, my rage growing more and more with every step I took.

"Golbez!" I roared volcanically as I threw open the doors that led to the throne room. "What have you done to Kain?!"

The man laughed wickedly – in any other circumstance, it would've left me feeling hollow and fearful inside, but my rage wouldn't allow me to feel scared. "I've done nothing to him except tweak his emotions a bit. It was only his fault that he kept such dark feelings within him."

"Liar!" I snarled loudly, swinging my staff to swat away the guards who dare try to hold me back, killing or gravely injuring them in the process.

I was about to swing my staff to behead Golbez when I stopped myself. Despite my rage, I was unable to as so much tap the large man for Kain had jumped in between Golbez and me.

"Stay your weapon, Berserker, lest you kill your beloved Dragoon," he chuckled viciously from behind Kain.

Tears ran down my face as I let my staff drop from my grasp. There was no way I could harm the man I loved, even if this man in front of me didn't act like him.

" _Intriguing_ … You still have a hold of your emotional and mental awareness despite your being already in full Berserk status," Golbez commented. "Indeed, you will be a useful asset to the cause, Evie."

Defeat reigned over me as I slid down to my knees, allowing myself to be taken away by the guards that were lucky enough to survive my onslaught.


	10. Chapter 9

I looked over the scenery of Baron Village and the plains that surrounded it, yet, I didn't see it. Instead, my eyes were unfocused as I couldn't feel anything. I was left in a state of perpetual apathy. I wasn't excited to hear those familiar clanking of the armor for it was not happiness or peace he brought. That man – that evil version of the man I loved – only brought me pain and suffering.

Yes. He wasn't here to casually hold conversation with me anymore, he was here to cage me with his presence.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked hoarsely, my back facing him.

"Whatever do you mean? Isn't this what you wanted? My being here with you?" he spat.

I turned to face the Dragoon, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. "No…! Not like this!"

Kain readied his lance, as though he would be ready to attack me at any moment. "Do _not_ test my patience, wench."

I shook my head. "Why are you acting this way?" I asked again.

"This is the only way I can rid myself of that irksome Dark Knight so that I can earn back what is rightfully mine: Rosa's love," he explained with no humility in his voice.

"Who are you…?" I whispered unbelievingly.

Kain scowled visibly. "Who else do you think I am? I am Kain Highwind, Commander of the Dragoons."

I turned my back to him, eyes closed and hands clasped shakily together. "The Kain _I_ know would _never_ talk about his close friends like this...! Kain Highwind, Commander of the Dragoons, is many things, but he would never throw away his friendship for his feelings towards someone...! Not the Kain I love..." I cried softly.

Kain roughly grabbed my arm and turned me so that I was facing him. When I looked away, he grabbed my face and forcefully made me look at him. "We're not so different, wench, so you don't have the right to judge me…!" he growled dangerously. "You _also_ feel jealousy and hatred towards my beloved because she's the only one standing in the way of you garnering my love and attention."

"Yes, but I would never wish ill will towards Rosa!" I yelled defiantly. "I would never sacrifice my friendship for you!"

Kain sneered and threw me on the floor. "Think what you want, _wench_ ," he snarled as he walked away from me.

"No… You're not Kain at all…"


	11. Author's Note

Just a quick author's note before I continue updating, I'm not as active here on as I am on , so if you want to read more of the love story between Evie and Kain, please check there! I believe I'm on chapter 17 as of when this chapter goes up here. If you want to stick around here on FF, by all means, just know that my updates will be incredibly slow here, more so than my updates on DA lol.

Thank you! Love y'all.  
-DoubleRaineBow

P.S.  
You'll find _Love and Betrayal_ and more such fanfictions at doublerainebow . deviantart . com


	12. Chapter 9-1

"You want me to do what?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"Did you not hear me the first time, Berserker?" Golbez growled irritably. "I want you to cast Haste on all the bombs as they drop," the obsidian armored man explained again, enunciating every syllable.

I shook my head. "But, Damcyan has done noth-"

Immediately, Kain brought his lance down menacingly with a slam next to me. "Do _not_ disobey your orders, wench."

I looked between the two men fearfully, though I could do nothing about the situation I was in. Shame filled me as I nodded my head. "Alright… I'll do it…"

Golbez nodded approvingly. "Good. If you dare do anything else besides casting Haste on the bombs and healing my men, then your _beloved_ Dragoon will punish you as he sees fit."

I again nodded my head in understanding, though I didn't have the strength to look up at the two.

"Now, return to your room. Kain will fetch you once we arrive at Damcyan."

Guilt filled me as I overlooked Castle Damcyan as it was being destroyed in rapid succession by the bombs I magically augmented. From behind, I could hear Golbez as he laughed at the misfortune of the people killed in this meaningless raid. Closing my eyes, I let out a short prayer for forgiveness and for the many souls to be received by a warm embrace.


	13. Chapter 10

My heart was filled with emptiness and dread as we slowly approached Fabul. After Kain's betrayal of our friendship, I was left alone emotionally. Physically, I was always accompanied by someone, whether it was Kain himself or a guard. They didn't trust me, but they knew that I was useful to Golbez's endeavor.

I watched from afar as we ferociously attacked Fabul, their defenses crumbling easily due to all the support I was forced to supply to the Baron soldiers, but hope soon filled me when I saw that Cecil was at the front lines aiding Fabul's defense. Making sure that no one was watching me, I left my post of healing the Baron soldiers in favor of following Kain who was slowly making his way into Fabul Castle.

It pained me to see Cecil and his friends and allies be pushed back into the heart of the castle, but I knew that Baron was much stronger than Fabul, with or without Cecil commanding the Red Wings.

Cecil was soon pushed back into the Crystal Chamber. I had thought them to be safe in there when they locked the doors, but a heartless laugh erupted from Kain. There was a traitor inside with them. As soon as the door to the Crystal Chamber was opened, a flood of Baron soldiers entered the chamber. Though I could see that Cecil and two friends were successful in preventing the horde from getting to the Crystal, Kain soon joined them in the chamber.

"It's been some time, Cecil," Kain said.

Relief washed over Cecil's voice for hearing the voice of the friend he thought to be dead. "Kain! You're alive!"

"I am," he remarked curtly.

"You'll fight, then?" Cecil asked hopefully.

Kain laughed mockingly, confusing the Dark Knight. "Of course. That's the very reason I've come. But, Cecil… The one I'll be fighting is you!" Kain yelled, swinging his lance at Cecil who dodged backward.

" _Kain_?!" Cecil exclaimed in disbelief.

"A duel, Cecil! Draw your blade!" Kain shouted again.

Cecil did nothing but block and dodge Kain's onslaught of attacks. Although Cecil wasn't hurt physically, anyone could tell that he was hurting emotionally.

The fight drew out and cuts and scratches from Kain's lance soon began to appear on Cecil's armor and blood was seen seeping out from behind his armor plating. Cecil was then caught off guard when Kain was able to disarm him of his sword. Kain then swung his lance at Cecil, effectively knocking him down on the ground. Cecil laid there, too weak to get up.

"This is the end, Cecil," Kain declared lowly, readying his lance to kill Cecil.

"No!" I screamed, jumping from my hiding spot to protect Cecil.

The next thing I knew, two voices were calling out my name. Warmth began to spread on my skin, but I felt a cold pain from where the warmth originated from. I looked down at myself and saw red blood staining my white dress, but what surprised me was to see his lance pierced through my body. Blood spilled out of my mouth as Kain retracted his lance, allowing me to fall onto the cold ground.

"R-Rosa…!" I heard Kain stutter.

"Kain… You, of all people…!" the ever beautiful Rosa murmured in shock.

So it was Kain's love for Rosa that saved me from garnering an even more painful death, physically at least.

Booming footsteps and the clanking of armor marked the appearance of Golbez. "Kain! Why do you now hesitate?!" he reprimanded loudly, not caring that I, an asset of his, was gradually dying on the floor.

"So you're Golbez…!" Cecil gritted out.

"… Cecil, I presume?" Golbez regarded him but soon returned his attention to Kain. "Never hesitate to kill, Kain. Now see how it is done!" he shouted as he began to prepare a spell.

"Cecil!" his friends yelled. "I will not allow you to harm him!"

As his friends jumped to attack Golbez, Golbez simply scoffed and redirected his magic attack to them. "I did not come to deal with worms." Golbez again turned to Kain. "Enough of this foolishness! Kain, bring me the Crystal!"

Kain complied and went ahead to retrieve the Wind Crystal from its pedestal, but was soon stopped by Rosa. "Kain, please!" she pleaded.

"Rosa…! No!" Cecil protested weakly.

Kain hesitated, inadvertently allowing Golbez to see his very weakness. " _Oh_ , so you care for this girl, do you? And yet, you've led along that Berserker Mage during the time this girl and Cecil were absent?" Golbez laughed at the irony of the situation. "Then allow me to take her along with the Crystal… Let her be the promise that we will be graced with the chance of meeting him again. Come, Kain." Golbez roughly grabbed hold of Rosa and Kain followed after the two with the Crystal in tow, leaving a green haired girl the only person standing.

She centered herself between all of us and casted cure. Though my wound closed, I was still left weakened and my internal injuries unable to heal adequately.

As soon as Cecil was able to stand, he quickly made his way over to me. "Evie…" He held me in his arms as he gazed over my broken form.

"Cecil… That's not Kain…" I whimpered out. Cecil shushed me, but I continued my pitiful cry, "That's not the man I love, Cecil."

"I know, Evie…" he whispered sadly.

The others watched in silence as I wept in Cecil's arms. Pain, hurt, and betrayal washed over mine and Cecil's faces.

The day was full of defeat for everyone present: Fabul had lost their Crystal, Cecil lost his beloved Rosa, and I lost Kain, a man I never had in the beginning.

"Come on!" The little girl exclaimed, "We have to help this lady with her wounds while she's still breathing! We'll also have to save Rosa, and bring back the Crystal, too!"

"She's right," the Bard agreed. "We have no time for moping."

"Cecil, let us assist you now," the Monk said. "You can bring the girl to the infirmary. Our White Mages are quite skillful and should be able to get her back on her feet."

Cecil nodded and carried me out to the infirmary.

"Cecil…" I called softly as Cecil cradled me gently in his arms.

"Yes, Evie…?"

I closed my eyes. "Stay with me, okay…?"

Cecil held me closer to him. "I will."


End file.
